Report Urges Increased Investments in U.S. R & D

A new report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The Perils of Complacency: America at a Tipping Point in Science & Engineering, urges significant action and research funding to ensure that the United States does not lose its leadership position in innovation. The report offers a five-year update to the Academy’s 2014 report, Restoring the Foundation: The Vital Role of Research in Preserving the American Dream, which called for annual U.S. investments in research and development (R&D) to equal 3.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). “China is projected to become the world’s largest economy when measured by GDP by 2030. By 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States, China’s strategic plan calls for it to be well on its way to becoming the unchallenged world leader in science, technology, and innovation,” reads the new report. “These developments are perilous for America, which today, 50 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, is at a tipping point in R&D,” the report warns. The report notes that the United States gained global leadership by prioritizing innovation and cautions that falling behind in science and technology R&D funding, even for a few years, can have “grave consequences for a country’s economy, job creation, standard of living, and national security.” The latest report reaffirms the recommendations offered in the 2014 report, including increasing federal fundi...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news